LA Dodgers

Tuesday-Dodgers 8 Pirates 7

Michael Busch made his MLB debut on Tuesday and had a hit, Miguel Vargas had 2 hits, James Outman continued his crazy good start to 2023 and Chris Taylor had both a big night, and a super clutch hit. 

The Dodgers manufactured 2 runs in the top of the first on a Freddie Freeman walk, a catchers interference call, then a 2-RBI double by Miguel Vargas. 

Noah Syndergaard has been hit or miss this year, and Tuesday night was certainly a miss as he gave up 7 earned runs in just 4.0 innings. He also allowed 3 stolen bases, which, if you’re not going to be a power pitcher with high velo and lots of strikeouts, is a problem. 

We’ll discuss that a bit more a little later.

But, the 7 runs he gave up were all the Pirates would score on the night as Victor Gonzalez, Evan Phillips, Yency Almonte, Caleb Ferguson, and Shelby Miller all teamed up to hold Pittsburgh scoreless for the last 5 innings. 

The Dodgers had won 3 in a row and were 13-11, which, considering the injury and paternity bug, is not too bad at this point in the season. 

So, that moves us to last night, which, simply put, was a dud.

Wednesday Pirates 8 Dodgers 1

Wednesday was just a dud! I can’t think of any other way to put it other than it was a fairly lifeless loss that left Dodgers fans with very little to chew on. 

Tony Gonsolin gave the Dodgers a good start in what was, in essence, a rehab performance in a Major League game. Having been considered a rehab, the Dodgers knew they were going to have to heavily rely on their bullpen, which, coming into the 5th inning, had gone 10 innings in a row without giving up a run. 

That came to a screeching halt in the 5th, however, when the Pirates scored 2 in the 5th, 1 in the 6th, and 5 in the 7th. 

Phil Bickford was credited with 2 runs, Justin Bruihl was credited with 1, Yency Almonte was credited with 4 and Alex Vesia with 1 as well. 

The Dodgers dropped to just 1 game over .500, which, for Dodgers fans, isn’t what we are used to seeing, but, it can be explained, and while there are issues that don’t seem to have immediate solutions, some do. 

So, let’s talk about them. 

The Dodgers have lost both shortstops, Gavin Lux and Miguel Rojas, to injury, their starting catcher Will Smith and one of their biggest pieces to their rotation Tony Gonsolin. They are also piecing together a bunch of newcomers and a handful of rookies, so, all in all, they are in survival mode until they can get everything put together and get the engine working on all cylinders. 

If Tony Gonsolin can continue to pitch well, then start adding length and be at a normal pitch count by June, that solves one of the rotation spots. It would give the Dodgers 4 very good starters, then a 5th spot with Noah Syndergaard who has been hot and cold. 

Or, Ryan Pepiot, or Michael Grove who have been hurt. Or Gavin Stone or Bobby Miller who haven’t been put on the 40-man roster yet. 

Here’s one concern I have with Dodgers pitchers, pretty much as a whole.

The Dodgers have to start incorporating a slide step, at least in moments where good or winning baseball calls for it. It didn't cost the Dodgers this time, but handing over 3rd base with no outs gives the other team a lot better odds to score. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/meDmJATjuX

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) April 27, 2023

While the example above is Yency Almonte, Noah Syndergaard allowed 3 stolen bases in his start on Tuesday as well, and that concerns me, and here’s why.

Syndergaard is not the power pitcher he once was, and he’s not striking out a ton of hitters.

And, then, he’s also not holding runners.

His K/9 ratio is 7.27, which is just barely hovering above below average. In fact, in Tuesday’s start, he gave up more stolen bases, 3, than he had strikeouts, 2. 

If teams are stealing bases, then also putting the ball in play a lot, they are bound to “steal” at least a couple of runs a game that they wouldn’t score if the running game was held in check or if the pitcher had more strikeouts. 

So, if you’re not striking a lot of guys out, then, you need to do what you can to control the running game, something which we have seen as an issue these past couple of games.

The Bullpen has been hot and cold as well this year. As stated earlier, it was on a heater going into the 5th inning last night, but then went iceberg cold when the gates opened. I do think that shoring up the bullpen, in whichever way the F.O. sees fit, is something that has to, at least, be in the daily talks. 

If not on the front burner. 

The good news is that this F.O. has proven itself time and again as a group that knows how to put an elite pitching staff together both at the starting and relief levels. 

So, I think we all need to be patient on that front and put our trust in a group of people that have earned it. 

OKC Dodgers

OKC got rained out on Wednesday night and will make that game up in a doubleheader starting at 4:00 on Thursday. I will be there with my camera in hand, so if you have any requests, just let me know. 

So, for the last time, they were in action, which was Tuesday night. 

Devin Mann’s walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning capped off a late rally and sent the OKC Dodgers to a 5-4 win in their series opener against Sacramento Tuesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark!

Recap: https://t.co/9PLsxgMIKM pic.twitter.com/26vkeJfzOk

— Oklahoma City Dodgers (@okc_dodgers) April 26, 2023

Drew Avans had 2 hits Tuesday night for AAA OKC, and he also stole 3rd base while before the pitcher came set. No one was paying attention, the 3rd baseman was deep, and he just took off and made the base before the River Cats knew what was happening. We actually had a name for that play, we called it the Chappell steal. More on that in the podcast. Avans is hitting .253, OPS .811 and has hits in 5 of his last 6 games and has multi-hit games in 2 of his last 5.

Hitting 'em where they ain't.

Drew Avans ties this game with a RBI single! pic.twitter.com/vYAiWQxrA4

— Oklahoma City Dodgers (@okc_dodgers) April 26, 2023

Jahmai Jones got off to a blazing start for AAA OKC, cooled off for a bit, and now he’s back . He had 2 hits Tuesday night and was on base 3 times. He’s hitting .266 with an OPS of .854, has 3 multi-hit games in a row and a 4-game hit streak in total. He’s 6 for his last 13 with 2 RBIs, 2 Doubles, 8 total bases and 3 runs scored. Don’t forget, although he has been in professional baseball since 2015, and he has MLB experience, he is still just 25, which is the same age as both James Outman and Michael Busch.

Bradley Zimmer had a great night for AAA OKC. At the plate he went 3 for 4, and he made a really nice catch in right field that helped squash a River Cat rally. He went way to his left towards the line, and really showed off his gliding speed. His long legs cover a lot of ground and he can get to balls much easier that anticipated off the bat. 

Jimmy Nelson made his first appearance in a game since July 30th of 2021. I was there and about 3 rows deep, and you could feel his excitement both while he was pitching and even after he was done. Nelson looked good going scoreless in his 1 inning of work, so I’m excited to watch his progress as this season continues forward.

Mark Washington worked himself into trouble, then right out of it. I was sitting directly behind home plate and his ball is explosive. This may be confirmation bias, but I could also feel his competitive energy as he worked. Washington went 1 scoreless and got the win to move to 2-1 on the year as a reliever. It was good to see Wash get back into the scoreless column again.

James Jones looked very good at times, then had a hard time controlling the tail on his left-handed fastball at other. He went 2 scoreless and struck out 2, but then also walked 2. Jones has been an outfielder mostly in his career that dates back to 2009 when he was drafted in the 4th Round by the Seattle Mariners. Seeing him in person, he is big and his ball moves a bunch. Jones is 34 years old, so he is a long shot, but, he is also in AAA, which is just 1 step away, so keep an eye on him. 

On the board!

Ryan Ward's RBI single cuts the deficit to 2-1 in the 3rd inning. pic.twitter.com/tgaURd5dRF

— Oklahoma City Dodgers (@okc_dodgers) April 25, 2023

AA Tulsa

AA Tulsa got rained out on Wednesday Night as well, but their double header will be on Friday starting at 5:05.

So, let’s get to the action from Tuesday night, the last time they played. 

W for Game 1 of the series against Arkansas ✅

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) April 25, 2023

Nick Frasso got the start Tuesday for the Drillers and was his typical fantastic self o the bump hitting 97 with his 4-seam and landing his off-speed in the zone. In fact, Frasso didn’t walk a hitter and had 8 strike outs, so he was explosive, but then also very efficient with his strike throwing. Frasso has an ERA on the year of just 1.50, his WHIP is just 1.00, his average against is just .224 and he has 26 strike outs to just 3 walks. Wow!

Imanol Vargas got the Drillers on the board in the 4th inning with a homerun that traveled over 400 feet and had an exit velocity of 113 MPH. I say it every time I talk about him, but he is the most underrated player in the system quite possibly, and just keeps getting better. He’s hitting .289, OPS 1.155 and his OBP is .471, which should come as a surprise to no one because he’s been posting elite OBP numbers for years now. 

Jose Ramos had a very impressive home run to right field. When he hits home runs, they are usually the majestic, high and hard hit variety, so they look pretty to begin with. But, this one went opposite field, which just goes to show that he is way more than just pull-side power. His oppo prowess has helped him cut down, at least some, on his strikeouts this year, as he has his K% down to 24.2%. That’s high, no doubt, but it’s better than the 32.7% he posted last year at Great Lakes, so it’s progress in maybe the only area of improvement he has. 

 How about Tanner Dodson! Dodson walked 38 batters last year in just 36 innings, and, so far this year, has walked just 4 in his 10.1 frames on the mound. Dodson has always had some of the best stuff of any pitcher in the org., but if you can’t throw strikes, it’s hard to get steered in the right direction. Now that he is throwing strikes, not surprisingly, he’s getting outs and by the bunches. His ERA is just 0.87, his average against is just .143 and his WHIP is just 0.87. Keep up the Great Work Tanner!

Jordan Leasure is another very talented right-handed pitcher that was hitting 97 last night with a good slider. His ERA is a touch elevated at 5.14, but that’s due to just 2 outings where he gave up a pair of runs in each of those outings, but other than that, he’s put up zeroes. His average against is just .200 and he has 13 Ks and just 3 walks. 

John Rooney just keeps getting better and better in the high-leverage, late inning relief role. Rooney picked up his 3rd save last night and made it look easy throwing just 12 pitches, 10 of which were strikes. His ERA on the year is just 1.04, his WHIP is just 0.58, and he has 12 Ks on the year and has yet to walk a batter! Wow! Keep up the great work JRoons!

High A Great Lakes

Tuesday Loons 4 Tin Caps 2

Ronan Kopp had his roughest start of the year giving up 2 runs on 4 hits in 2.2 innings, but he was due to return back down to earth. Prior to last night, the big lefty had allowed just 1 run in his previous 3 starts which encompassed 10 innings. He also had just allowed 6 hits total and had struck out 17 while walking just 5. 

Yunior Garcia woke the Loons offense up with a home run in the 7th inning to get Great Lakes on the board with a 2-run shot to tie the game. In the next inning, Jake Vogel doubled in Alex Freeland and Taylor Young and the Loons won 4-2. 

Aldry Acosta was back at it again not allowing a run in his 1.1 innings, and, in typical fashion, got every out through contact, mostly soft contact. His ball cuts, it moves and it does it all late, and hitters have the hardest time squaring him up. After giving up a run in his for outing of the year, he’s put up zeroes in all 5 outings since. 

It wasn’t exactly a piggy-back situation, because Robbie Peto was brought in as the 3rd pitcher of the day for the Loons, but it was a bulk inning role, something Peto specializes in. Peto went 3.0 innings and gave up no runs and just 1 hit. He also struck out 4 and walked just 2. On the year, Peto has a 3.21 ERA, a WHIP of just 1.07 and an average against of just .224. 

Antonio Knowles had his slider in action again yesterday, and, again, went scoreless. Knowles has allowed just a single run in just 1 outing so far and has his ERA down to 1.17, his WHIP also at 1.17 and his average against at .143. Keep up the great work Antonio!

Jake Pilarski finished the night off with his league-leading 5th save of the year. Leading the league in saves is impressive enough, but to do so on a team that is only .500 makes that feat even more impressive. Pilarski was in the 97 range last night with his fastball and had his good off-speed working and a whole lot of attitude. 

Wednesday Loons 5 Tin Caps 2

Big thanks to Austin Brubaker for the footage from the stadium, it is really cool. 

Austin Gauthier has 2 more hits last night and has his average up to .367. Gauthier has hits in 6 games in a row and 10 of his last 11.

Luis Diaz crushed one deep into the Indiana night. Check it out for yourself!

Michael Hobbs shut the door on the Tincaps! Loons win 5-2!

Franklin De La Paz threw a scoreless inning for the Loons. Here’s a good look at his side slot release.

Christian Suarez had another great outing for Great Lakes going 1.1 scoreless. Suarez has a WHIP of just 1.04, an average against of just .251 and has 12 Ks on the year to just 3 walks. Keep up the great work Christian.

Single A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Tuesday Rancho 3 Inland Empire 1

Rancho took down Inland Empire 3-1 behind strong pitching from Maddux Bruns who went 2.2 innings scoreless. Bruns racked up 4 Ks and gave up just 1 hit, and has yet to give up a run so far this year. 

Chris Campos is another young promising pitcher who hasn’t given up a run this year yet either, and he threw 2.1 scoreless on Tuesday. Juan Morillo threw a scoreless inning, Lucas Wepf threw 2 scoreless innings and Madison Jeffrey slammed the door in the 9th to pick up his 2nd save of the year. 

Rayne Doncon and Dalton Dooney led the way offensively, each collecting 2 hits. D0ncon hit a home run, while Dooney hit a double. Jose Izarra, Chris Newell, and Jesus Galiz all had hits as well in the Quake’s 3-1 win. 

Wednesday Quakes 5 66ers 2

Peter Heubeck had his best performance of the year Wednesday night going 4 innings, giving up no runs and striking out 7. Heubeck was drafted out of Gilman High School in Baltimore and has the big 4-seam and a big curveball, and has added a tighter slider this year. 

Thayron Liranzo had a triple and a double and was on base 3 times on the night while Nick Biddison hit his first home run of the year. The Quakes scored 3 in the 2nd, one in the 3rd, and then 1 in the 9th to secure the 5-2 win. 

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